The Past Set Free
by Morning Glory Conlon
Summary: The newsies in the Manhattan Lodging house are feeling Jack's wrath, why? Because his father is getting out of jail in a few days. What will happen when Jack's past is set free and comes to find him?
1. Fear is What it is all About

            Jack had been on the edge all week. No one wanted to be around him, not even his best friends. All of them were afraid to go near him in fear that he would explode at them. He was holding something from all of them something that he couldn't bring himself to share with the rest of the newsies.

            Jack paced the room hours on end; he would stop every once and a while looking like he had found the answers he had been looking for. He ran his hand through his hair, then place his old raggedy cowboy hat on his head and begin pacing again. Jack would mumble incoherently to himself as he did this. 

            Every one tried to adjust to Jack's fowl mood. Three nights ago Race had decided to play poker with Jack thinking it would take his mind off of what ever he had been thinking about. Race had let Jack win a bunch of the hands. Jack found out and ended up throwing the cards across the table and storming off. For the rest of the week no one played any card games.

            The week was drawing to an end. Kid Blink, Race, Spot, Mush and Spit Fire sat across the room talking quietly. Spot had come to Manhattan to watch over things at the lodging house and to make sure Jack didn't try to kill any one. He had left Chance in charge of Brooklyn and hoped it wouldn't fall apart. 

            "You go." Mush said to Spot as he glanced over at Jack who stopped pacing and took his hat off.

            "He's your leadah." Spot retorted he glanced across at Blink. Spit Fire sat there quietly watching Jack pace with her eyes.

            "But yer Spot Conlon." Blink said to him, "Yer his bes' frien'." 

            "Don' look at me!" Race said holding his hands up, "I ain't feelin' lucky tahday." Then the four of them looked over at Spit Fire who hadn't said anything.

            "Me?! No!" She said looking back at the four of them. She stood up ready to leave the group when Blink grabbed her arm.

            "C'mon you'se soaked dah Bronx leadah, you'se can't be afraid of Jack." Blink laughed a little.

            "Plus you'se a goil." Spot said smirking, not that her being a girl had anything to do with it, but he thought it might work, "This kind of job calls fer a women's touch." 

            "Spot, tell me why that sounds so dirty when you say that?" She said turning to look at him with his cocky smirk, "Any one else can say that and it wouldn't sound anything like the way it sounds coming from you." Spit Fire brushed a few red curls out of her face looking at the four of them.

            "C'mon, Fire." Mush begged her with the _you can't resists my sad puppy dog eyes_ face.

            "Fine." She sighed and then took a deep breath, "Fearless leader of Brooklyn, my ass…" She laughed, "And the three wuss-keteers."

            "We hoid d'at." Spot called to her.

            "Good I meant for you to hear it." Spit Fire looked back at them and Spot started to the death march as she walked, "So supportive." She said rather sarcastically. 

            Fire turned around and faced towards where she was going. She looked at Jack and swallowed hard, "Hey Jack." She said to him quietly and waited to see his reaction.

            "What?!" He asked in a low growl.

            "We're just concerned about you. What's bothering you?" She asked him quietly looking at him with a soft look.

            "Nothin'! Nothin's botherin' me!" He shouted at her throwing his hands in the air, "I don' need you'se botherin' me about it." Jack said pushing her back into a bunk.

            Spit Fire looked at Jack he had never acted this way. She stood up again, "Jack…" She whispered. He spun around his face full of anger.

"Whad do you'se wan' from me Fire?" He asked. Fire recoiled when Jack shouted at her. Jack noticed that she had backed away from him when he shouted, "Sorry Fire." He climbed out to the fire escape. Fire followed him out onto the fire escape.

"Jack, please talk to me we are all worried." She said to him quietly as she placed a hand on his arm and gently rubbed it.

Jack looked out over the city, "Me fadda's gettin' out of jail few days." Jack took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair again; he didn't even look over to Spit Fire. 


	2. Secret's Out

               Spit Fire sat quietly next to Jack. She hadn't known this about Jack and felt sorry for him. She figured it must be tough on him, "I am so sorry Jack." She said quietly, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
    
                   "No, theah's nothin' you'se can do." He said watching the streets below looking at each person hoping they weren't his father. Jack turned around and closed the window behind him. 
    
                   Blink, Spot, Race, and Mush watched the two of them out on the fire escape, "Shoul' one of us go out theah or somethin', yah know jus' in case he tries tah push her off dah fire escape?" Blink asked them.
    
                   "Nah, I'se bettin' if he tries tah she'll hit him." Race said as he reached into his pocket, "Any one wanna make a bet?"
    
                   "Race, put yer money away." Spot said watching Spit Fire and Jack. He was worried because he had never seen Jack shove any one before just for talking to him. Plus he had never seen Spit Fire back away from any one, not some one who had soaked the leader of the Bronx.
    
    **********
    
                   Spit Fire looked over at Jack, "Jack?" She asked seeing as he had shut the window she grew worried.
    
                   "Spit Fire you know I ain't afraid of nothin' right?" He asked her. Still keeping his eyes focused on the street below.
    
                   "Yeah I know that you aren't afraid of anything. Jack what are you getting at?" She asked him really worried that he might do something stupid or something that he would regret later.
    
                   "Me fadda he was abusive tah me sistah, muddah, and me…" He cleared his throat when he mentioned himself in there, "An' I'se never been afraid of nothin', but me fadda scares me a lot. I'se afraid he's goin' tah come aftah me when he gets out. He was a drunk and blamed everythin' on me. He said that I was the oldes' and need tah set and example, go out and get a job so he could take all me money and got get drunk. Spit Fire we'se had nothin' and the lil' we'se had he woul' take and squander on alcohol. He tol' me dah nigh' dah bulls took him d'at if he evah got out he'd come find me. I nevah though' he woul' get out. I felt safe, but d'ese las' few days"

            Spit Fire figured this must have been hard on him to tell her all this, she only wished she was better at comforting people. It was one of the traits she never learned, "I am sorry I am not better at knowing what to say."

            "Don' be sorry." Jack said understanding that some people had never been cared for so it made it harder for them to know what to do in cases like this.

            "If you want I can soak him for you." She said elbowing him slightly. Jack smiled and put an arm around her.

            "Thanks Fire, but I'se think I'se gonna have tah deal wid d'is one on me own." He said to her.

            Spit Fire looked at him, "Jack I may not be one to speak, but you shouldn't push people away. You should let them help you."

            "Yer right yah ain't one tah tawk, but I'se gonna listen tah you'se." Jack stood up and extended a hand to Spit Fire, "I'se gonna go for a walk I'll be back latah. Tell dah guys d'at d'ey ain't got nothin' tah worry about now."

            Spit Fire nodded taking his hand and standing up, "Jack, don't do anything I wouldn't do." She smiled at him and went to go inside. Jack climbed off the fire escape and towards the streets.

            "Hey everything's okay for now." Spit Fire said to the four of them, "He went for a walk and will be back later."

            Race smiled, "Well now d'at he ain't heah any one up fer a game of cards?" He asked. Race had been unable to play cards for a week now afraid to play against Jack.

            "Shoah." Blink and Mush pulled up a chair along with Spot. Spot pulled one up for Spit Fire.

            "You gonna play?" He asked her. Spit Fire shook her head.

            "No, I'm just going to watch." She said jumping up onto her bunk and watching from there. She could pretty much see everyone's hand.

*********

            Jack walked down the street thinking about what he was going to do. He found himself headed towards the train yards. He walked across the tracks and hopped up onto the platform across the way, "Can I help you?" The lady behind the ticket counter asked.

            "Ah, yeah." Jack placed his cowboy hat onto his head and leaned against the counter…

To be continued


	3. Sweet Love

            "Coul' yah tell me how much a train ticket tah Santa Fe is?" Jack asked the lady behind the counter. She pulled out a large book and flipped through it. She stopped halfway towards the end of the book and ran her finger down the page. He watched as she stopped at a certain point.

            "One way or round trip sir?" She asked sliding her finger across the page to the prices.

            "One way." He said taking his cowboy hat and placing it on his head.

            "An one way ticket is ten dollars." She said looking up at Jack as she closed the book, "Anything else?" 

            "No, no d'ats all. Thanks fer dah help miss." Jack pushed himself off of the counter and spun around. He walked over to the edge of the platform and jumped back down on, "Only short t'ree dollars." Jack said to him self as he crossed the tracks and back over to the other side. Jack took one last look at the train yards, "I'll be seein' you'se in a few days." With that said he exited the train yards and walked down the street.

            He looked at every one on the street paranoid that one of them was his father.  He placed his hands behind his neck and massaged it lightly. He could feel the tension building in his neck. Jack thought he would stop by The River Bank for a drink on his way back to the lodging house. He needed something to relax and he knew he could find it at The River Bank. He needed to find Vixen. She knew what to do to make him loosen up. She had been there for him when he was having a tough day. Jack had been stopping by The River Bank a lot lately. He wanted to take the relationship he had with her father, but he wasn't sure if now was a good time, especially while he was thinking about going to Santa Fe.  Jack walked into The River Bank and was greeted by Vixen.

            "Heya Jack-boy haven't seen you around here in a while." She said smiling and walking over to him. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck, "What can I do for you?" Vixen asked moving closer to him.

            "How abou' dah usual Vixen." He said as she led him over to a table. Jack sat down and Vixen sat on his lap, "I gotta lot of problems d'at need fixin'."

            "You want to tell me about them?" She asked him. 

            Jack shook his head, "Maybe later." He said to her knowing that she cared about him made him feel better already.

Vixen wrapped her arms around him, placing her hands lightly on the back of his neck. Then kissed him lightly on the lips. A goofy grin spread across his face as he forgot all of his problems about his father.  Vixen kissed down his neck slowly and then nibbled on his ear lobe.

            Jack wrapped his arms around her waist and his hands found their way up the back of her shirt. Vixen smiled in between kisses and stood up. She took Jack's hand and pulled him to his feet, "I think I no what to do to make you forget all of your problems." She whispered in his ear once he was standing. Jack's grin grew even wider as he let Vixen lead him upstairs above The River Bank to her apartment.

            Not many words were exchanged between Jack and Vixen as they made there way to her bedroom. Jack was totally lost in the moment and all of his thoughts about his father and his past were pushed out of his head as he made love to Vixen holding her close to his body he felt as if everything was going to be alright.

            Jack laid holding Vixen in his arms. He looked over at her and realized he had feelings for her, but didn't know how she felt about him. Did she think that he just came to her when he needed to let go and relax? Jack sighed as he watched her sleep, then he closed his eyes still holding her and drifted into a light sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Spot, Spit Fire, Mush, and Race sat playing cards waiting for Jack's return. Spit Fire was nervous waiting for him to come back. She was afraid that his father had found him and after what he said about him Fire thought only the worse.

            Blink sat with Gav on his bunk making out like they always did when she returned for selling. Every one didn't understand why they didn't just sell together to spare them from having to watch them make out, "Getta room!" Spot said taking a poker chip and throwing it at the back of Blink's head. Blink pulled away from Gav and glared at Spot.

            "C'mon Gav." He said taking her hand and leading her up to the roof, "Tell us when Jack gets back." He called down.

            "Guys, I am worried about Jack." Spit Fire hadn't told them anything about what Jack had said to her.

            "How come?" Spot asked standing up to get the chip he through.

            "Yeah he ain't got nothin' tah worry about. Ain't like no ones gonna kil him or hoit him." Mush said placing his cards down.

            "Well…" Spit Fire bit her lower lip and debated on whether to tell them or not. Spot, Mush, and Race all looked at her. Spit Fire told them everything feeling that something had happened to him.

            "D'is ain't good." Race said who had known the truth about Jack's father.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Jack's father walked out of the jailhouse with the little money he still had and the clothes on his back. He first item of business was to find his son. He headed towards Manhattan where they had lived when they were a family, "He is going to pay for having me put in jail and so is his good for nothing mother."


	4. Santa Fe is Closer then you Think

            Jack woke up Vixen was still in his arms and he smiled to himself. He reached over for his pocket watch. He looked at the time, "8:00…man." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He kissed Vixen lightly on the lips. Her eyes fluttered open, she smiled to see Jack still there. She thought he would of left.

            "Hey." She smiled at him, "I'm glad you are still here." Vixen lay on her side facing him. She could tell something was wrong. She knew Jack too long and too well not to think otherwise, "Tell me what's bothering you."

            Jack looked over at her a little surprised that she had brought up that something was wrong, "Ah...well." Jack ran his hand through his hair and then laid back in the bed again looking up at the ceiling, "Well me faddah's getting' out of jail in a few days." He said to her still looking at the ceiling. Vixen lay down next to Jack resting her head on his bare chest. She listened to his every word. She cared about him and wanted to do what ever it took to make him happy, "An' I was thinkin' about goin' tah Santa Fe. I jus' always wan'ed tah go an' now I gotta reason tah go." He wrapped his arms around her.

            Vixen felt her heartbreak when he said he was going to leave for Santa Fe, "Well what's stopping you?" She asked him quietly laying her arm across his chest. She felt his heart beat against her body.

             "Well I'se shot t'ree dollahs." Jack rubbed her arm lightly with his hand.

            "If that's all I have three dollars you can have." She said to him knowing that it would make him happy to go to Santa Fe and she wanted to make him happy.

            Jack smiled he loved how she would do anything for him, "D'eres something else too." He said to her pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

            "What?" Vixen looked up at him.

            "You…" He kissed her sweetly on the lips, "I wasn' shoah if I'se shoul' tell yah, but I'se care fer yah and I can' leave fer Santa Fe cause you'se is gonna be heah." 

            Vixen smiled at him, "I care for you too, but I don't want to be the reason you don't go to Santa Fe."

            Jack took a deep breath, "Vixen I'se love you. Will yah come wid me tah Santa Fe?"  He asked her. Vixen was surprised that he had asked her to go with him.

            "You want me to go with you?!" She asked to make sure he wasn't just saying it.

            "Yeah, I wan' yah tah go. I'se will have enough money in a few days jus' before me dad gets out tah pay for you'se." He said to her.

            "Jack I have the money if you want." Vixen said to him.

            "I coul'n' ask yah tah do d'at." Jack said even though he would love to leave as soon as possible.

            "Don't have to I want to." Vixen smiled at him.

            "T'anks Vixen." Jack hugged her closer to him. They talked about leaving for Santa Fe and when they would go. It was around nine o'clock when Jack decided that he should get back to the lodging house. Jack got dressed and so did Vixen. He kissed her one more time, "I'll see you tamarra." He smiled.

            "Alright, I will have the money for the tickets by then." She said walking him back down stairs and out of The River Bank.

            Jack walked down the street towards the lodging house whistling. His day had improved, but little did he know it was about to change drastically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Spit Fire glared at the door harshly, "I am going to soak him when he walks in." She said out loud, "No I am going to _kill_ him when he walks through that door." Spit Fire was worried only because she was afraid of what might happen to Jack if his father found him, "I wish he never told me about this." Spit Fire was a chronic worrier when it came to certain things.

            "I'se woul' pay tah see d'at." Spot said from his bunk. He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back. Spit Fire just looked over at him and glared.

            "I bet any of yah d'at Spit Fire wins." Race said as he shuffled the cards. He took out a cigar and putting it in his mouth. 

            "I am gonna soak you two in a minute." She said standing up and shoving Spot off his bunk and pulling the cigar out of Race's mouth.

            "Give id back Fiah." Race scowled at her standing up and grabbing for it.

            "How much yah wanna bet he ain't gettin' it back." Mush laughed as he walked over to his bunk.  It was getting late. Spit Fire taunted Race for a bit longer before giving the cigar back. She sat in a chair and continued to watch the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jack's father walked through Manhattan. He was determined to find his son as soon as he could. He walked down the street Jack had just left in front of The River Bank.  Jack turned on to Duane Street he could see the lodging house.  Jack's father was closing in on Jack and Jack didn't even know it. His father turned the corner and spotted him, "Francis Sullivan!" He called out. Jack froze he knew that voice anywhere.

Jack turned around slowly and swallowed hard, "Faddah…" He said Jack felt like he was seven again.

"Thought you could avoid me for ever, huh?" He asked as he approached Jack.


	5. Sullivan vs. Kelly

            Jack stood there frozen in his spot like a child who had just had a horrible nightmare and wanted his mother. He couldn't find the strength in him to run from his father. He couldn't move, think, let alone breath he was so petrified. Jack managed some how to turn around to face his father. 

            "That's right boy, I am out." His father snickered lightly and advanced forward to his son frozen like a deer in the headlights, "Didn't think I wouldn't come find my eldest child responsible for all this?" 

            Jack couldn't say anything the words wouldn't form. His head was swimming and he tried to separate his thoughts. Jack glanced towards the lodging house, which was less the a hundred feet away. He couldn't call to his friends sitting in the lodging house for them to come help him, "What no hello for your dear old father?" He asked less then a foot away from Jack.

            "Whad da yah wan'?" He asked lowly.

            "Oh just to finish what I had started eleven years ago. You were the reason I was arrested. If it wasn't for you and you sister your mother would still be a live, she wouldn't have been trying to save you two from that fire and she could of saved her self. And if it wasn't for you I would of never gone to jail. Your mother and I would have been so happy together." His father raised his arm to strike Jack. All Jack could think of was how it reminded him of the past. They had never been happy. His father had been in jail for exactly this and some other things, "Now you are going to pay." His father hit him. Jack wasn't sure whether he should hit his father back or not. When he hit him again Jack wasn't going to take it any more.

            His sister and him hadn't done anything wrong. They had done everything to make their father proud of them. Soon Jack sent a right hook into his father's Jack, "You ain't nothin' but another face in dah crowd, John."  John stumbled back when Jack hit him. He was astonished that his son actually hit him.

            "You are going to be sorry you did that boy." John punched him in the stomach and Jack doubled over in pain. Then John hit him in the face causing Jack to fall to the ground. He continued to punch and kick Jack. He tried his hardest to fight back, but it his father was too strong. At one point Jack had managed to push John off of him with his feet, but he only came back.

            Jack tired to protect himself, but ended up giving up. There was nothing he could do about it. He was going to die here. Jack thought the soaking would never end; finally two men who happened to be walking by saw what was happening. They ran over and pulled John off of Jack.

            Jack lay there in the street unable to move. The only reason he knew he was a live was because he could feel the intense pain running through his body.

            "Are you alright son?" One of the men asked. Jack could only open one of his eyes the other one was swollen shut. He slowly sat up leaning back against his elbows. Every joint, every muscle, and every bone in his body ached.

            "Yeah…" He paused, "I'se fine." Jack had managed to stand up with great help from the man who walked over, "Thanks for gettin' him off of me." He swayed on his feet almost falling to the ground again.

            "Are you sure? Where do you live?" He asked concerned about Jack. He had been beaten pretty badly. He just nodded and pointed to the lodging house.  He could feel the blood trickling down the side of his head and down his neck. Jack could also taste the blood in his mouth. Jack wiped his lip and started what seemed to be the never-ending walk back to the lodging house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            It was almost curfew and Jack still wasn't back, "That's it! I am going to look for him!" Spit Fire stood up and threw her songbook down onto the chair she had been sitting in. Spot pushed his cabbie hat up from over his eyes and looked at her.

            "Jack's a big boy. He can take care of him self." He saw the look Fire was giving him, "Whad evah floats yer boat." Spot said allowing his cabbie had to slip back down over his eyes.

            "Don't any of you care?" Fire asked them astounded that they didn't care about their friend, "Forget you all." Spit Fire left them all sitting in the bunkroom.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Jack paused in the middle of the street, His head was spinning and he didn't even know if he was going to make it back to the lodging house. Spit Fire had just walked out and saw Jack standing there, "Oh my god…Jack." She ran over to him. She already knew what had happened, "C'mon lets get you back to the lodging house." Spit Fire put her arm around Jack's waist and allowed him to lean against her. He was heavier then she thought, but Fire wasn't going to say anything.

            "Everything hoits." Jack moaned. The two of them walked into the lodging house. They stopped in the lobby.

            "Can you make it up the stairs?" She asked him wanting to get some ice for Jack. Jack nodded and slowly started up the stairs. Spit Fire walked into the kitchen and grabbed a towel and ice. When she walked back out Jack wasn't very far up the stairs, "C'mon." 

            Spot, Race, Blink, and Mush heard them coming up the stairs. Jack walked in first and Spot looked at him and sneer at Jack, "She wasn' kiddin' when she said d'at she was gonna soak yah." Spit Fire walked in right behind him.

            "Shut up Conlon." Spit Fire glared at him insensitively, and then walked towards the washroom with Jack.

            Race, Blink, and Mush sat there quietly not making any comments that they new were too easy. They defiantly didn't want to get in-between anything with Spot and Fire involved. Spot jumped up and walked over to her grabbing Fire's arm and yanking her back.

            "Hey who do yah think yer tawkin' tah?"  Spot glared at her. He wasn't going to let a girl talk to him like that. Not even if he did like her.

            "Let go of me Conlon. I am warning you." She said to him. She clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles began to turn white. Spot only tightened his grip.

            "Yer pushin' it." Spot said to Spit Fire. Jack walked over to them.

            "You aren't in Brooklyn Spot you don't have a right to touch me, even if you were in Brooklyn you wouldn't be able to touch me." Jack could tell Spit Fire was about to hit Spot and he wasn't in any condition to break up a fight between the two of them. Plus he wasn't going to watch this happen it only brought back memories of his father hurting his mother.

            "Spot eithah you can go back tah Brooklyn or yah can' follow me rule heah in me lodging house." Jack pulled Spot's hand off of his Spit Fire, "Rule numbah one don' touch Spit Fire." Jack walked into the washroom and Spot walked towards his bunk and flopped down.

            The other three snickered at Spot. He lifted his head and stare angrily at them, "Shaddup!" he muttered, "I can have any goil in New Yawk yet I choose her."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            "Jack what happened?" She asked handing him the ice for his eye. Fire motioned for him to sit on the sink counter. Spit Fire took a wet towel and started to clean Jack's bloody lip and other cuts.

            "He jus' came out of know wheah." Jack winced; Spit Fire's soft touch surprised him since she had such a tough exterior, "I'se though' I'se had a few more days to get my money togetah."

            Fire stopped and took the towel away from the side of his head, "What do you mean get your money together?" 

            Jack knew he would have to tell every one sooner or later. Why not start with the two worse first and work his way down. He looked at her not sure how to tell her so she wouldn't hurt him more then he already was. Spot was going to be just as mad knowing him, "What do you mean?" She asked again. Jack looked at her.

            "Well…I ah…." Jack took the towel and put it back to the side of his head. Spit Fire waited for his answer.


End file.
